Paper or bill f



(No Model.)

A. J. WELLS.

PAPER 0R BILL FILE.

No. 386,674. Patented July 24, 1888.

Z? R 7" a v m w H. mm WITNES ES: INVENTOR, WW, BY ;Y W

ATTORNEYS,

ARTHUR J. \VELLS, OF SYRACUSE, NEYV YORK.

PAPER OR BILL FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,674, dated July 24, 1888.

Application filed September 9, 1887. Serial No. 249,199.

To all whom, 2'15 may concern:

Be it known that ARTHUR J. \VELLS, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Paper or Bill Files, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a l'uli,clcar, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in knockdown portable paper-files, and has for its object the production of a simple and effective file-rack which may be placed on a table or desk or in any desirable position for use and the partitions or compartments for the papers adjusted to any desirable dimension in width; and to this end the invention consists, essentially, in a base provided with perforations and a series of partitions adapted to be united to the base by placing the same in the perforations at intervals, as desired.

It also consists in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying myinvention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which, like letters indicating corresponding parts in all the views Figurel is an isometric view of my improved paper-file set up for use. Fig. 2 shows a trans verse section through the base,illustrating the manner of nniting the partitions to the base. Fig. 3 shows a modification in the construction of the partitions. Figs. 4 and 5 are details of the modification, the base beingin section; and Fig. 6 illustrates a further modification in the construction of the partition and its attachin devices for uniting it to the base.

A denotes the base of my improved paperfile. The same consists of a suitable support, preferably made of hard wood and having a metal plate, D, secured to the top thereof, the said metal plate being provided with perforationsC,extendingin series atintervals throughout the length of the base A. The said perforations form seats or sockets which receive the legs of the partitions B and support the same in their operative position. The partitions B are preferably made of wire, and consist of the bends or legs a b c, the bends a and 0, respectively, being formed of springwire, so as to have a slight outward bend,

(No model.)

which, when the partition B is united to the base by inserting the bonds or legs a b c in the perforations O, the outward tendency of the spring supports the leg firmly in the seat, while at the same time the perforation may thereby be somewhat larger than the bends or legs of the wire partition, and consequently the leg may be easily inserted in the base.

It will be observed that by reason of the perforations extending lengthwise of the base in series the partitions B may be inserted in the base at any required distance apart, thus al lowing the compartments between the partitions to be made of any suitable width, and thereby an eflicient adjustable paper-file is produced. which is of great utility in a mercantile oflice or counting-room in filing temporarily memoranda which require further correspondence or some intermediate delay in disposing of the same before the memoranda are filed away for reference, and my invention produces a desirable device for this purpose, for the reason that it occupies very little space and may be readily adapted to the requirements without difficulty, and at the same time presents an attractive appearance and is durable.

I do not restrict myself to the specific construction of my invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, since the top plate, D, of metal may be dispensed with and rows of perforations C formed, respectively, in the sides of the base A, as best shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In this case, however, it is desirable to provide guides f, which are formed at right angles to the perforations O and extend from the top of the base into the perforations, and to bend the spring-arms a and c of the partitions B at right angles, as best shown at 6, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and when the partitions are united to the base the angular bends of the springarms a and c are simply pulled out or bent outwardly and inserted by putting the ends in the guidesf and pushing them down until the ends 0 enter the perforations 0, when the spring of the metal forces them in the perfo rations. In this construction I preferably make the partition 13 of sheet metal, as shown in Fig. 6, attaching the flanged base (I to the lower edge thereof, and secure the spring-wire arms a b to the side edges of the partition B, as best shown at Fig. 6, and it will be observed that the flanged base 01 affords an efficient support to the partition without detracting from the simplicity of construction or its efficiency in use, while the spring-arms a b make a secure lock in connection with the perforations O and firmly secure the partition B to the base A.

My improved paper file or rack may be detached and packed very closely for shipment, and, being simple in construction, can be produced very economically and affords an efflcient device for the desired purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described paper-file, consisting of a base adapted to lie upon a desk or table and formed with a' series of perforations, and adjustable partitions provided with steps removably fittinginto the perforated base,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the base A and perforated plate D, secured to its top, and the adjustable partitions B, having the steps a 0, adapted to enter the perforations,substantiall y as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The base A, formed with a series of perforations, O, and the adjustable partitions B, having the spring-steps a a, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 5th day of September, 1887.

ARTHUR WELLS.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, E. O. CANNON. 

